The miner launched an internal probe last year into ‘financial irregularities’, complicating an acrimonious row between co-founders Rothschild and Indonesia’s powerful Bakrie family. Bumi later called in City of London police after discovering evidence that the information that triggered the probe was obtained by email hacking.

Indonesian police spokesman Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar said on Friday that Rothschild would probably be summoned for questioning over the data theft.

It comes as Rothschild and the Bumi
board prepare for a weekend charm offensive among investors ahead of
next Thursday’s crucial vote on the firm’s future.

Rothschild is trying to oust 12 of 14 directors, saying they are under the influence of the Bakries.

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The Bumi board countered that it has
proposed the only viable plan to secure the Bakries’ exit from the
company, whose share price has been battered by public brawling. A
source close to the situation said: ‘Every vote counts at this stage.’
Bumi’s share price has tumbled 58 per cent in the space of a year, despite its ownership of the highly lucrative Berau coal asset in Indonesia.

Shareholders have been put off by the
public war of words between Rothschild, the Bumi board and the Bakrie
family. The Bumi board has put forward a plan that it says would see the
Bakries leave the company for good.

The Bakries are to put a £32million deposit down, before cancelling their 24 per cent
Bumi shareholding in exchange for 10pc of subsidiary Bumi Resources.
Bumi (down 28.7p to 377.3p) will then sell its remaining 19 per cent of
Bumi Resources to the Bakries for £178million.